Auxiliary runner for ice skates



Jan. '6, 1959 P. J. LACHAT "2,867,445

AUXILIARY RUNNER FOR ICE SKATES Filed May 17, 1957 R m M W.

Mona/n. v A77'O/e/YEYS United States PatentO AUXILIARY RUNNER FOR ICESKATES Paul J. Lachat, Winsted, Conn.

Application May 17, 1957, Serial No. 659,793

4 Claims. (Cl. 280-1112) This invention relates to ice skates, and moreparticularly to an auxiliary runner or blade, attachable to aconventional ice skate, as for example, the type including a tubularblade, the type in which there is a heel on the shoe, etc.

Among important objects of the invention are the following:

To provide a device which will not interfere with normal skatingactivities;

To effect contact between the device and the ice whenever ones ankleweakens to an extent that causes the shoe and skate to collapse inwardlya predetermined extent beyond their normal vertical positions;

To permit the device to be applied or removed with maximum speed orease, so that it can be taken off the skate when one has learned toskate well enough to no longer require aid in counteracting the ankleweakness which normally is encountered by novices; and

To form the device at low cost while yet providing a strong, ruggedattachment to the ice skate.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an ice skate equipped with anattachment according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear end elevational view of the skate and attachment;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the attachment per se, as seenfrom the inside;

Figure 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

'Figure 6 is a side elevation of a modified form applied to a skate;

Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the modified device per se;

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the modified device per se, onthe same scale as Figure 7, partly in section;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the modified device on the same scale asFigure 8 with the base plate removed, the skate blade being shown indotted lines; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of one of theholding straps.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a conventional shoe skate includesa shoe 10 and ice skate 12 having a tube 14 rigid with a runner or blade16.

The auxiliary runner 18 includes a base plate 20 having at each side apair of upwardly projecting cars 22. To the rear ears are connectedstraps 24 crossed in back of the shoe (Figure 2) and adjustablyconnected together at their point of crossing by snaps 26. In front ofthe shoe the straps are again crossed and have distal end portions 28connected removably to buckles 30 on short straps connected to the frontones of the ears 22.

Rigid with and depending from base plate 20 at one side of blade 16 is aconnecting plate 32. The plate 32 has a serrated or toothed outersurface and a horizontally extending blade 34 is formed medially betweenits ends with an upwardly projecting tongue 36 having teeth meshing withthe teeth of plate 32 in selected positions to which blade 34 isvertically adjusted in respect to the surface of the ice. A connectingbolt 33 extends throughan opening of tongue 36 and through a verticalslot of plate 32. A wing nut on the bolt is tightened to fixedly connectthe plate 32 and tongue 36.

Rigid with blade 34 is a means for supporting the same in predetermined,laterally spaced relation to runner 16. This includes spring clamps 40of inverted U shape embracing and gripping the tube 14 and integral witha laterally projecting rib rigid with blade 34. The blade 34 has a loweredge 43 that extends parallel to the blade 16 just above the ice(Figures 1 and 2).

In Figures 6-9 a shoe 44 is connected with an ice skate 46 having ablade 48 connected by longitudinally spaced connecting portions 50 tothe shoe.

The auxiliary runner 52 is mountable on the heel 54 of the shoe. itincludes a base plate 56 having a forwardly opening slot 58 providedwith a flared entrance- Way 60 for receiving the rear connecting portion50. The entranceway 60 is formed in an upwardly offset front part orabutment 62 integrally formed on the plate 56.

Front ears 64 and rear cars 66 on the base plate are connected to strapsin a manner to be made presently apparent.

integral with one side of the base plate is a depending mounting plate68 having teeth on its outer surface. A blade 70 is integral with anupwardly projecting tongue '72 toothed to mate with the teeth of plate68. Plate 68 and tongue 72 are connected by a bolt 74 extending througha slot of plate 68. Downwardly opening clamps 76 are integral withlaterally extending arms 77 rigid with plate 72.

Connected to ears 66 are straps '78 crossed in back of the shoe andhaving books 80 engaged with the ears 64, 66. The straps are crossed asat 82 in front of the shoe and are adjustably connected by snaps 84.

In both forms the blade 34- or 70 will not contact the ice when one isskating properly, that is, with the ice skate and shoe perfectlyupright. Beginning skaters, however, tend to weaken in the anklescausing the shoes to bend inwardly. In this situation, the blades of theauxiliary devices will immediately contact the ice toprevent any morethan a slight inward bending of the ankle. Discomfort is reduced and thenecessity for a beginner to take frequent rests is eliminated. Further,one quickly learns to maintain the runner of the ice skate in perfectlyvertical position. Then, when the device is no longer needed, it may beremoved.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined tothe specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carryout said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination, with an ice skate of the shoe skate type, said iceskate including a shoe and a runner permanently attached thereto, of anauxiliary runner attachment comprising a base plate formed separatelyfrom and underlying the shoe, said base plate being centered betweenopposite sides of the shoe; straps on the plate connected about saidshoe; an auxiliary blade extending horizontally below one side of thebase plate; and means spaced laterally from the midwidth portion of thebase plate and connecting the blade and base plate, said means comprising a plate rigid with and depending from the base plate,

a tongue extending upwardly from the blade, and a bolt connecting thetongue and plate.

2. The combination, with an ice skate of the shoe skate type, said iceskate including a shoe and a runner permanently attached thereto, of anauxiliary runner attachment comprising a base plate formed separatelyfrom and underlying the shoe, said base plate being centered betweenopposite sides or" the shoe; straps on the plate connected type, saidice skate including a shoe and a runner permanently attached thereto, ofan auxiliary runner attachment comprising a base plate formed separatelyfrom and underlying the shoe, said base plate being centered betweenopposite sides of the shoe; straps on the plate connected about saidshoe; an auxiliary blade extending horizontally below one side of thebase plate; means spaced laterally from the midwidth portion of the baseplate and connecting the blade and base plate, said means comprising aplate rigid with and depending from the base plate, a tongue extendingupwardly from the blade, and a bolt connecting the tongue and plate; andmeans extending laterally from'the blade for engaging said runner tohold 4 the blade at a predetermined distance laterally from the runner.

4. The combination, with an ice skate of the shoe skate type, said iceskate including a shoe and a runner permanently attached thereto, of anauxiliary runner attachment comprising a base plate formed separatelyfrom and underlying the shoe, said base plate being centered betweenopposite sides of the shoe; straps on the plate connected about saidshoe; an auxiliary blade extending horizontally below one side of thebase plate; means spaced laterally from the midwidth portion of the baseplate and connecting the blade and base plate, said means comprising aplate rigid with and depending from the base plate, a tongue extendingupwardly from the blade, and a bolt connecting the tongue and plate; andmeans extending laterally from the blade for engaging said runner tohold the blade at a predetermined distance laterally from the runner,comprising a pair of clamps of inverted U shape adapted to embrace'the'runner, and at least one c'onne'cting member rigid'with and extendingbetween the blade and clamps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS601,013 Evans Mar. '22, 1898 1,212,855 Wachs Jan. 16, 1917 2,691,532Hayner Oct. 12, 1954 2,764,417 Sweet Sept. 25, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS127,359 Germany Ian. 10, 1902 7,887 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1901 of 1901148,636 Sweden Jan. 25, 1955

